NCJ Number
25754
Date Published
1974
Length
230 pages
Annotation
REPORT ON A PROGRAM WHICH USED ADJACENT EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL BEATS IN THE VENICE AREA OF LOS ANGELES TO STUDY THE VIABILITY OF TEAM POLICING AS A CRIME REDUCTION AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS/INVOLVEMENT PROGRAM.
Abstract
FOUR REPRESSIBLE CRIMES - BURGLARY, AUTO THEFT, ROBBERY, BURGLARY/THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE - AS WELL AS TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING INJURY WERE SELECTED AS A BASIS FOR COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO AREAS. THE 'TEAM' (TEAM EXPERIMENT IN AREA MOBILIZATION) PROJECT STARTED IN APRIL 1972 AND A CRIME-SPECIFIC BURGLARY PROJECT, WAS BEGUN IN CONJUNCTION WITH THIS IN JUNE 1972 WITH THE HELP OF GRANT FUNDS FROM THE CALIFORNIA COUNCIL ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE. THIS REPORT IS AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS OF ALL THE PROGRAMS OF BOTH THE GRANT-FUNDED AND THE PURE TEAM POLICING ASPECTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. IT INCLUDES AN ANALYSIS OF THE STATISTICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE 'TEAM' WITH RESPECT TO CRIME REDUCTION. INDIVIDUAL CHAPTERS COVER THE TEAM EXPERIMENT ITSELF, THE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES APPLIED, TEAM OPERATIONS, THE COMMUNITY AND POLICE ATTITUDINAL SURVEYS CONDUCTED, THE COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OPERATED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TEAM POLICING EXPERIMENT, AND THE STATISTICAL EVALUATION. WHEN COMPARED TO EXPECTATIONS, BURGLARIES WERE REDUCED 31.69 PERCENT IN THE EXPERIMENTAL AREA, COMMUNITY ATTITUDES WERE POSITIVELY INFLUENCED BY THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMS OF THE EXPERIMENT, AND POLICE ATTITUDES REFLECTED A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD THE COMMUNITY. HOWEVER, DUE TO A CITYWIDE DECREASE IN CRIME, THE CONTROL AREA ALSO SHOWED A 22.74 REDUCTION IN BURGLARIES. REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE TEAM POLICING ACTIVITIES COVER MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS, POLICE OFFICER TRAINING, COMMUNITY RELATIONS, AND GRANT CONSIDERATIONS. THE APPENDIX CONTAINS PROGRAM STATISTICS, COPIES OF THE ATTITUDE SURVEYS, A DIVISION-WIDE TEAM POLICING PROPOSAL, AND A BREAKDOWN OF PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO THE TEAM POLICING EXPERIMENT, AMONG OTHER THINGS.